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Design Eye on the Oscars: The Kids Are All Right
And the Winner Is ... That Amazing Terraced Garden
Cue the Vampire Weekend soundtrack and Mark Ruffalo's husky drawl. While Annette Bening may be nominated for the Academy Award, it's the gardens from The Kids Are All Right that really steal the show.
While the film focuses on the burgeoning relationship of brother-sister duo Joni and Laser with their sperm donor father, Paul, the gardens are where the plot really plays itself out. Sure Julianne Moore, who plays the mother of Laser and Joni, has an affair with their newly found father, Paul, but did you see the backyard terracing? And yes Annette Bening, who also is with Julianne Moore, may have some control issues and a bit of a drinking problem, but I was too busy admiring her deck and picnic table to notice.
By the time the film ended, I had not only seen a family recover from a near nervous breakdown, but I also had learned how to incorporate planter boxes into an urban landscape. I now know how to design retaining walls that are not only functional, but also attractive. And, come spring and summer, outdoor dining is going to be happening every night at my house. With a star-studded cast and a critically acclaimed script, I can't help but think that it is the exterior spaces that really make this film a Best Picture contendor. Here are some more ideas for terraced gardens to inspire your own backyard farm:
While the film focuses on the burgeoning relationship of brother-sister duo Joni and Laser with their sperm donor father, Paul, the gardens are where the plot really plays itself out. Sure Julianne Moore, who plays the mother of Laser and Joni, has an affair with their newly found father, Paul, but did you see the backyard terracing? And yes Annette Bening, who also is with Julianne Moore, may have some control issues and a bit of a drinking problem, but I was too busy admiring her deck and picnic table to notice.
By the time the film ended, I had not only seen a family recover from a near nervous breakdown, but I also had learned how to incorporate planter boxes into an urban landscape. I now know how to design retaining walls that are not only functional, but also attractive. And, come spring and summer, outdoor dining is going to be happening every night at my house. With a star-studded cast and a critically acclaimed script, I can't help but think that it is the exterior spaces that really make this film a Best Picture contendor. Here are some more ideas for terraced gardens to inspire your own backyard farm:
| While the relationship of Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore may not be one to aspire to, the backyard project that spurs their romance definitely has me in love. A landscape filled with topography is a landscape that leads to ample visual interest. |
| Retaining walls bring layering into the landscape. While serving the necessary purpose of slope stability, they also inadvertently make for great planters. The concrete contrasts the soft texture of the foliage and allows the eye to view many plants simultaneously. |
| Whatever you choose to grow, retaining walls make every plant easily accessible and always within an arm's reach. |
You may not run your own organic co-op farm, but you can still go local by growing your own produce. There is nothing as beautiful as a productive garden. Can you get that swiss chard for me now?
Raised beds add order and regularity to the landscape. When life feels anything but, it's nice to know at least one of you has it all figured out.
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| When working with slopes, retaining walls make it all work. Go with stacked stone, wood, or concrete. Don't feel like planting anything directly into the soil? Planters work well too. Now you can go inside to take a nap, and send good vibes to your plants. |
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by Avant Garden
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| Are you ready to test out your landscape design skills but you can't decide whether to build raised beds or retaining walls? Why not do both? |
| In arid climates like Los Angeles, it is essential that you select plant varieties that will survive without killing your water bill. One of the most critical points to remember about landscape design is that plants are alive. No matter how nurturing and attentive you are, they still are going to do what they want. It's easiest to just work with nature instead of against it. Plant species that are better adapted to your environment. |
| Think your landscape needs to look like a desertscape in order to be a low water landscape? Native grasses and shrubs are just as effective at lowering water usage as succulents, while still maintaining the "fecund" and "more is more" aesthetic that you are striving for in your yard. |
by Jane Ellison
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The low-maintenance and accessibility theme extends from the landscape to the hardscape. Outdoor dining is synonymous with Southern California living. When the temperature rises, move your meals to the patio. Every night can feel like eating out at the local restaurant that always serves your favorite meal.
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| The dining table plays host to many pivotal scenes in this film. A simple deck and picnic table can subtly slip into the background as the intensity of the conversation escalates between three glasses and four glasses of wine.
Your garden is the space that should always serve as a refuge from the pressures of daily life. When learning by doing becomes too much, escape to your landscape. When that doesn't work, I hear Petite Sirah can do the trick too. Next: Design Eye on the Oscars: True Grit style Design Eye on the Oscars: The King's Speech |
Comments
Becky Harris Loved the movie, loved the gardens - in fact, you are so right about the role the gardens played in the movie, I never even thought of that - don't we first meet Mark Ruffalo in a garden with the cityscape below him? Oh, and while Annette definitely deserved a nom (I'll still never get over her not winning for "American Beauty"), I think Julianne Moore was robbed - she was so good and funny and that speech she gives about marriage being a marathon was the most moving thing I've seen all year.
2 years ago · Like
angi The thing i was most crazy about in that movie was the wooden tub surround in the bathroom! Does anyone remember that? Someone pleeeeze do a design book thingy on wooden tub decks! or any wood in the bathroom! In Bali most of the vanities were made of wood and sooo gorgeous! Or that whole white and wood yacht type look is my fav!
2 years ago · Like
thornton I saw The Kids are Alright just in time for the big night, and I agree with you, Annie, that the yards stole the show. Terracing a hillside lot gives so much texture and interest, and I loved your idea of doing both raised beds and retaining walls. Great idea book!
2 years ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Feb. 27, 2011.
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